Key Points

The announcement came after five days of intense fighting in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, between Houthi fighters and soldiers from the Republican Guard loyal to Saleh, in which at least 250 fatalities have been reported.

The collapse of the alliance will create a common front against the Houthi movement, as both the Saudi-led coalition and the internationally recognised government of President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi have welcomed the GPC’s move.

It also indicates a sudden escalation of the conflict as the Saudi-led coalition will likely push for an offensive on Sanaa and, eventually, Hodeidah.

Event

On 2 December, former president Ali Abdullah Saleh’s party, the General People’s Congress (GPC), announced that its alliance with the Houthi movement had officially ended.

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